It is known to provide automotive interiors with various trim assemblies to improve the aesthetic appearance of the automotive interior and for the comfort and convenience of vehicle occupants. Examples of these interior trim assemblies include the instrument panels, armrests, door trim panels and consoles. In many of these trim assemblies, various storage compartments are incorporated therein that allow the vehicle occupant to conveniently store one or more items, such as tissue, coins, maps and other items typically carried in a vehicle. In many cases, such as for storage compartments in door panels, it is desirable for the compartment to include a door or cover that overlies the opening and secures the items within the compartment. The cover is typically attached to the compartment and moveable, such as by a hinge mechanism, so that the articles in the compartment may be accessed.
Moreover, in more luxury-oriented vehicles, manufacturers may provide various lighting systems in the trim assemblies that enhance the use of the various functional aspects typically found in the interior of an automobile. For instance, a lighting system may be provided with the storage compartment so that the various items contained therein may readily be seen during night time conditions or other conditions when the storage compartment contents may not be readily observed. In this way, the storage compartment contents may be observed and accessed without turning on overhead lighting that may disturb other vehicle occupants or temporarily blind the driver.
While being desired by car owners and vehicle occupants, storage compartments incorporating a lighting system have some drawbacks. A primary drawback is in the manufacturing and assembly of the various parts that make up the storage compartment and the lighting system. The current process for making a storage compartment is typically to form the compartment body in a first mold. The compartment door is then individually formed in a second and separate mold. A further separate connecting member, usually being a pair of metal or plastic cylindrical hinge pins, is then used to couple the compartment door to the compartment body. Moreover, current storage compartments typically include a pair of damping mechanisms to provide some resistance to opening and closing the door to the storage compartment.
To incorporate the lighting system with the storage compartment, a portion of the compartment body is cut out and covered by a clear polycarbonate material that in essence, provides a window to the interior of the storage compartment. A separate light assembly is then attached to the inside of the trim assembly into which the storage compartment is inserted so as to be located adjacent the window in the compartment body. In this way, the light assembly emits light that passes through the window and illuminates the interior of the storage compartment. The light assembly typically includes multiple parts such as an incandescent light bulb, a bulb mounting structure, a light cover, light reflectors and heat stake bosses to manage the heat generated by the incandescent bulb. The light assembly may further include contact switches so that the light bulb can be activated when the door to the storage compartment is opened.
Thus, under current manufacturing processes, storage compartments having a lighting system provided therewith comprise numerous parts each having different part numbers that must all be appropriately supplied, tracked, shipped, inventoried and eventually assembled to make the complete product. Multiple part assemblies in turn lead to significant administrative costs and labor costs, which increase the overall costs of production.
There is a need for an improved automotive storage compartment having a lighting system and a method for making the same that reduces the number of parts and reduces the labor required for assembly thereof, thereby reducing overall manufacturing costs.